Sparks first ignite and encounter wind and frost

Chapter Quote: Walking in the dark night, every step is frightening. Even if there is a glimmer of light, one must still be wary of the storm.

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Yan Qing felt a sense of peace after forming an alliance with Zhang Qing. With Zhang Qing's official cover and the covert support of General Su, investigating the Liangshan infiltration would undoubtedly be much smoother. The two agreed that Yan Qing would continue to use underworld channels to gather information, while Zhang Qing would be responsible for negotiating with the court and mobilizing some trusted military forces for cooperation.

However, just as Yan Qing was about to discuss further details with Zhang Qing, a sudden bad news disrupted all his plans.

Early that morning, one of his spies stationed at the dock staggered into the inn, covered in blood. When he saw Yan Qing, he fell to the ground before he could speak, leaving behind only a few broken words: "Brother Xiaoyi... let's go... Liangshan... revenge... Mr. Huangfu... was murdered..." and then he died.

Yan Qing was struck by lightning, and his blood instantly turned cold!

Huangfu Duan was murdered? !

He grasped his attendant and checked his breath, but it was already dead. He then looked at his back and saw a knife wound deep enough to see the bone, clearly the result of being chased.

Revenge! It was indeed Liangshan's revenge! They were so swift and ruthless! Not only did they find Huangfu Duan, but they also followed the clues and killed the spies he sent!

I was careless! I thought I was acting in secret, but I underestimated Liangshan's spies in the capital and Wu Yong's ruthlessness! Huangfu Duan was murdered because of my letter of recommendation, but what about Xiao Rang and Jin Dajian? Has General Zhang Qing also been exposed?

A strong sense of self-blame and anger surged in his heart, almost swallowing Yan Qing. He forced himself to calm down. Now was not the time to grieve!

He immediately summoned two other trusted aides and gave them a solemn order: "You, quickly go to Xiao Rang and Jin Dajian. If they are safe, immediately take them to the Lu family's secret base in the west of the city. If they are killed... return and report to me! You, quickly go to the official post station and try to notify General Zhang Qing that this place has been exposed. Tell him to be extremely careful and not to contact me again in the near future!"

Seeing Yan Qing's face turn pale, the two attendants knew the seriousness of the situation and did not dare to ask any more questions. They immediately took the order and left.

Yan Qing quickly packed up his important belongings, dealt with his companion's body, and left the inn immediately. He knew he could no longer stay here.

Half an hour later, the attendant who went to Xiao Rang's place brought back news: Xiao Rang and Jin Dajian's residence was in a mess, with obvious signs of a fight. The two were missing, and their life or death was unknown!

Yan Qing's heart sank. They were implicated after all!

A moment later, the attendant who had gone to the official post station also hurried back, his face filled with fear. "Brother Xiaoyi! The official post station has been surrounded by a large group of imperial guards! They say they're searching for Liangshan spies! General Zhang Qing... General Zhang Qing is under house arrest in the post station and is not allowed to leave! Our people can't get close at all!"

Imperial Guards? Yan Qing's pupils shrank. Could Liangshan's influence extend to the Imperial Guards? Or were Gao Qiu and his companions simply exploiting this situation to suppress Su Taiwei's faction?

Regardless of the possibility, the situation was extremely dire! Zhang Qing's house arrest meant that the newly established line of communication was instantly severed, and General Su would probably be implicated as well. He was practically alone in the capital, and exposed in plain sight!

We must leave the capital immediately!

However, just as he was about to leave, he heard a burst of dense and orderly footsteps and the clanging sound of armor rubbing against each other outside the inn window!

"Surround this place! Don't let anyone go!" a rough voice shouted sternly.

Yan Qing peered out through the crack in the window and saw the entire street completely blocked by a horde of armored Imperial Guards, bows strung, swords unsheathed, their faces thick with murderous intent. Leading the charge was a burly general with an arrogant expression. He was one of the officers in charge of the Palace Marshal's Office.

They were coming so fast! They were obviously heading straight for him!

The retreat is cut off!

Yan Qing took a deep breath, knowing that today would not end peacefully. He glanced at his only remaining attendant and whispered, "I'll distract them later. You find an opportunity to escape through the back window. If you can escape, return to Daming Mansion immediately and inform your master that Yan Qing has been framed in the capital by Liangshan and the government. Tell him to take care of himself, keep his house closed, and don't worry about me!"

"Brother Xiaoyi!" The servant's eyes were red, "I will live and die with you!"

"Stupid!" Yan Qing said sternly, "You must bring the news back! Go!"

After saying that, without waiting for his attendants to react, he suddenly pulled out the dagger from his waist, kicked the door open, and jumped into the patio of the inn!

"Yan Qing is here!" He shouted loudly, the sound shaking the roof tiles and immediately attracting the attention of all the imperial guards.

Seeing this, the officer laughed grimly, "It's you, the Liangshan spy! Capture him!"

Dozens of imperial guards shouted, and rushed forward with swords and guns in hand!

Yan Qing knew that he couldn't be trapped here. Once captured, he would be unable to defend himself and would die! He had to fight his way out!

He moved like a butterfly, weaving through the flashes of swords and sabers. The short knife in his hand transformed into streaks of silver light, aiming for non-lethal areas like wrists and ankles, areas that would incapacitate the enemy. He didn't want to linger in the fight, but fought and retreated, rushing towards the stables in the backyard of the inn.

Although these imperial guards were well-trained, they had never seen such a deft and brutal fighting style before. Furthermore, the inn's narrow courtyard made it difficult for many people to maneuver, so Yan Qing single-handedly slaughtered them with a single blow, leaving them all stumbling and screaming in agony!

The officer was shocked and angry. He drew his sword and joined the battle himself!

Seeing the commander attacking, Yan Qing's eyes focused, knowing this was his chance! He deliberately exposed himself, luring the officer to strike with his sword, but suddenly ducked, slipped under the officer's ribs, and slashed back with his sword, slashing at the back of his neck!

The officer was so frightened that he lowered his head in a hurry. His helmet was swept off by the blade and his scalp felt cold!

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yan Qing flipped over like a hawk and jumped onto the roof of the stable!

"Shoot! Shoot quickly!" The officer touched his bald scalp and roared in frustration.

Suddenly, arrows shot towards the ceiling like locusts!

Yan Qing twisted and turned on the roof, using his short knife to knock away the eagle feathers. His figure was like a ghost, and not a single arrow could touch him! He saw the right moment and suddenly leaped towards the roof of the next courtyard!

"Chase! Don't let him run away!" The imperial guards rushed out of the inn in a panic and chased in the direction where Yan Qing fled.

The attendant who was ordered to leave took advantage of the chaos, slipped out of the back window, blended into the crowd, and disappeared.

Yan Qing leaped across the rooftops of Tokyo, leaving his pursuers far behind. But he knew that the capital was under martial law, and all the gates were necessarily closed, making it extremely difficult to leave.

He had to find an absolutely safe place to hide temporarily.

Suddenly, he remembered a place - Daxiangguo Temple!

It's a peaceful Buddhist sanctuary, crowded with pilgrims, making it easy to hide. Furthermore, Elder Zhiqing is so highly respected that even the government wouldn't dare raid the temple. More importantly, Xu Ning's goose-feather armor is hidden within the temple. Perhaps... perhaps they could use this to contact Xu Ning? As the instructor of the Golden Spear Squad, perhaps Xu Ning has connections within the Imperial Guard?

This is a risky move, but it is also the only hope at the moment!

He identified the direction and sneaked towards Daxiangguo Temple like a bat in the dark night.

Behind him, the clamor of Tokyo and the shouts of the hunt faded away, but Yan Qing knew that a bigger storm was brewing. Liangshan's revenge and the government's suppression had already forced him into a desperate situation.

And this desperate situation may have just begun.

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Chapter 15 End